Curious about your paint colors? I am a Benjamin Moore junkie and would love to know what colors you have used in your house. Do you know them all?

THanks! Amy

It is amazing how going through a restoration makes you appreciate quality and craftsmanship. I used to get a good feeling in certain houses but had no idea why I liked them. Now I know. It’s in all the little details, the proportions of a room, certain shapes and design elements subtly repeated through out a house, etc.

The doors were taken off their hinges and stripped outside but the rest of the woodwork was left in place. We learned the secret to getting a consistent finish on woodwork that was originally stained is wood bleach. We picked up the wood bleach from a local paint store.

After the wood has been stripped and sanded, apply a coat of wood bleach according to the manufacture’s directions. Ours was left on overnight and then rinsed off numerous times with a wet cloth rag. Once the wood is thoroughly dried, one or two days, apply the stain. It should take the color evenly.

But, since you are almost completely done with the white trim, I agree that sticking with white makes the most sense. We have a neighbor that kept their trim painted white and I always think how bright and fresh her house looks. We have been debating about staining the upstairs bedrooms but have decided to paint the woodwork white instead.

We removed the door hardware and soaked it in a bucket of paint stripper for a few days.

We used to have a project going on the house all the time but ended up getting really burnt out after a few years. We ended up taking a year off from working on the house and went out to dinner, to the movies, hung out with friends – just tried to have a life outside the house. Now we are trying to find a balance between trying to get the house “done” and having a life! We have decided to do 1 or 2 house projects a year.

Best of luck with your house!
heather

I have a couple of questions on your work. Did you do the stripping with the wood in place? I find it easier to sand with the wood off the walls, but it requires more effort in replacing and filling nail holes.

This weekend I spent 12 hours total stripping and sanding the front door. Each step simply takes me forever. Right now I am working on replacing all of the cedar shake on the exterior. (the house was down to the 2×4 framing so I could put in insulation). Do you spend nearly every waking moment on your projects as I often feel?

It’s good to see that your parents are also inspired by your work. Ours all think I’m absolutely crazy along with the neighbors, friends, etc.